Hands On: Nikon D3300

Packing an awful lot of camera for the money, is this the long overdue first DSLR you should be picking up?

Pitching a DSLR camera at the entry-level market has always been a tricky proposition, more so in recent times with the glut of good options in the mirrorless and prosumer compact camera space. Make it too basic and folks will write it off as not doing enough; make it too complex and it’ll scare beginners off. Nikon claims it’s got the balance spot on with the D3300, packing not only a high-end sensor but also a first-timer friendly Guide mode and a compact, carry-everywhere body. So, is the latest in Nikon’s line of successful entry levels all that it’s made out to be?

Without a doubt, the D3300 is a small camera in the DSLR world, smaller and lighter than Canon’s entry-level 1200D and smaller than even the D3200 that it replaces. The D3300 is one of the few Nikon DSLRs to use what is called a monocoque construction, which means it’s made from one piece of material, resulting in a body that’s not only lighter but also stronger than the D3200. In the hand, the camera feels reassuringly solid, if a little plasticky, and the grip is comfortable. Interestingly, the scaling down effect is carried further on the new accompanying 18-55mm kit lens, which is now collapsible: when not in use it assumes a super-compact form, which then extends when you’re ready to shoot. It’s not smaller than other kit lenses during use, but this feature makes for easier stowing in a bag – a welcome move for when you’re on the road.

That said, the camera scrimps on the number of useful dials, possibly in a move to make the D3300 less daunting to beginners, but something that occasionally came in the way of making quick changes on the fly. What you do get is one jog-dial to switch between different modes, a button to change exposure compensation and one to turn on the Live View, and the usual complement of menu and navigation buttons. If you were expecting a dedicated button to change ISO sensitivity levels, white balance, metering and other shooting options, you’re out of luck – however, there is a function button near the lens mount which by default will allow you to quickly change the ISO (makes the most sense), but you can also program this to control JPEG quality, white balance and a few other options. The 3-inch 921k-dot LCD display is at par with others in its price range, but what we liked was the fact that it displayed the most important shooting information in a nicely laid out graphical arrangement, something we imagine beginners will take to rather nicely. Of course, given the dearth of physical controls, we would have preferred a touchscreen to quickly change shooting options, but no such luck. It’s not articulated either – the kind that swings out and around for innovative shooting angles – Nikon’s saved that trick for the more expensive D5300 range.

With such a high pixel count (24 million pixels), image noise becomes a very real concern, but much like the D3200, the D3300 handles low light and high ISO levels rather well, with noise creeping in only at ISO levels of 3200 and above, which is rather good. Size-wise, the sensor is as big as the non-pro camera sensors get and it makes it incredibly easy to crop pictures without losing quality. Metering is accurate, though we did notice that the camera gets somewhat confused if you’re shooting something with very high contrast – for instance a bright chandelier in otherwise dark conditions. Autofocus speeds in a variety of shooting conditions were acceptable as well, though it’s worth bearing in mind that focusing speeds drop significantly when using Live View mode so you should use that only for shooting something stationery, or if you’re shooting from an awkward angle and can’t compose using the viewfinder.

Worthy of mention is that the D3300 loses the anti-aliasing filter of the D3200, which a filter that’s meant to reduce occurrences of optical issues such as moiré patterning (unwanted aberrations appearing on images that feature repetitive patterns) but one that comes with the trade-off in terms of image sharpness. Combined with the high-resolution sensor and the new EXPEED 4 processing engine, this omission seems to have worked out well, and there’s an astonishing amount of detail to shots without the optical aberrations that one might have expected in its predecessors. All put together, the image quality and the results are excellent – colors are vibrant, images are noise free until you really push the ISO levels and the 24.2-megapixel sensor really delivers on those big detailed images you’d want from your first camera. Throughout the time we were out shooting, one more thing impressed – the D3300’s battery performance. Between shooting images, checking the results on the LCD over several days, Nikon’s estimate of around 700 shots per charge seems accurate, which makes the D3300 an excellent camera for all-day-long family outings.

While we’re not the biggest fans of the Instagrammy Effects Mode, what is useful for beginners is the Guide Mode, which lends a helping hand if you’re new to terms like aperture and exposure. Here you have access to options such as ‘blurred background’ and ‘freeze motion’ in which the camera explains the settings it will need to change in order to achieve the desired effect. All in all, the D3300 is a great little camera for the price, and though it is a few grand higher than the competing Canon equivalent you do get quite a bit more than the price would suggest, not to mention spectacular images when it’s used correctly.